Lightning Crashes

Sulm

Sulm was an ancient Flan kingdom that occupied much of the Bright Desert in the days when it was a fertile land.

History

The ancestors of the Sulmi were nomads who lived in the grasslands where the Bright Desert lies today, living in harmony with the land and worshipping spirits of earth and air. Like most of the nomads in the region, they slowly became more sophisticated under the influence of the demigod Vathris. The Kingdom of Sulm came to prominence circa -1900 CY after it was bolstered by the necromantic adepts of Caerdiralor, who taught them dark secrets and promised wealth and glory in exchange for the favor of the Sulmi royal house. Throughout its history, the kingdom spent much of its time crushing its neighbors, the rival kingdoms of Durha, Itar, Ronhass, Rhugha, and Truun. Only the Kingdom of Itar was strong enough to stand against Sulm, though it, too, would eventually fall.

After centuries of expansion, Sulm began its slow decline circa -1400 CY, some say due to the influence of Nerull and other dark powers. Kyuss was a powerful priest of Nerull during Sulm’s imperial age, shortly before its destruction. He was exiled for his profane experiments on undead in the sacred mortuary city of Unaagh, and traveled with hundreds of followers to the Amedio Jungle.

In circa -700 CY the Kingdom of Sulm fell, destroyed by its last king. The king, Shattados, used the power of a dark artifact known as the Scorpion Crown in an attempt to gain perpetual dominion over his subjects. Instead, the crown turned Shattados into a gigantic scorpion and his people into manscorpions and (possibly) dune stalkers. A few became asheratis instead due to the grace of Geshtai. The land itself was even changed, transformed into a vast wasteland now known as the Bright Desert.